This invention relates to a liquid crystal motor, which makes use of the flow of liquid crystal, and a mechanism and a method for causing a flow of liquid crystal. Liquid crystal is fluid, but optically anisotropic, causes birefringence, and has crystal-like properties. When an electric or magnetic field is applied to liquid crystal, all its molecules turn about their centers of gravity in one and the same direction and their axes are arranged at a certain peculiar angle with the direction of electric or magnetic force. This invention relates to a mechanism and a method for causing a flow of liquid crystal and an object-moving mechanism which take advantage of such properties of liquid crystal.
Liquid crystal has been used to make information-showing devices such as liquid-crystal displays because changes in the orientation of its molecules change its optical properties.
Besides, when an electric or magnetic field is applied to liquid crystal to change the direction of orientation of its molecules, its viscosity changes. Namely, it is an electro-rhological fluid. Accordingly, liquid crystal has been used to make bearing, dampers, etc., too.
On the other hand, it is known that a flow of liquid crystal occurs at the time of reorientation of molecules of liquid crystal. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, liquid crystal is put between two fixed parallel plates “P” and “P” and its molecule axes are arranged in parallel with the plates “P” and “P.” Then, when an electric field, of which the direction of electric force is perpendicular to the plates “P” and “P,” is applied to the liquid crystal, its molecules turn, which causes the liquid crystal to flow. Thus, electric energy can be transformed into kinetic energy by using liquid crystal.
So far, however, nobody has tried to make industrial use of the kinetic energy of molecules, or the flow, of liquid crystal; accordingly, there is no method or device for making positive use of the flow of liquid crystal.
Under the circumstances, the object of the present invention is to provide a mechanism and a method for causing a flow of liquid crystal, which can be utilized industrially, and a liquid crystal motor, which makes use of the flow of liquid crystal.